Awesome Summer Booze Trivia to Impress People With While You're Getting Drunk in the Sun

Summertime means long sessions of languid, laid-back drinking—on docks, beaches, and anywhere else that allows embarrassing sandals. This is awesome, but it poses one problem: You’ll likely have the opportunity to casually hit on potential paramours, but you will also have to provide literally hours of conversation, which can be taxing.

No fear: The tipsier people get, the more they love random trivia, especially when it relates to the drink in their hand. To arm you with artillery for some top-shelve seasonal bar conversation, here are some interesting and amusing facts about some of our favorite summer drinks, from the daiquiri to the piña colada.

Summertime means long sessions of languid, laid-back drinking—on docks, beaches, and anywhere else that allows embarrassing sandals. This is awesome, but it poses one problem: You'll likely have the opportunity to casually hit on potential paramours, but you will also have to provide literally hours of conversation, which can be taxing.
No fear: The tipsier people get, the more they love random trivia, especially when it relates to the drink in their hand. To arm you with artillery for some top-shelve seasonal bar conversation, here are some interesting and amusing facts about some of our favorite summer drinks, from the daiquiri to the piña colada.

If sangria's too lazy or mainstream for you, the brunch classic has an even cheaper/easier version, and it even has a cool name: the kalimotxo, a cocktail that's half red wine and half Coke.

Just don't tell your friends that when you order a fancy-sounding Basque drink at a bar. Learn more

The Bellini got its name because its signature pink color reminded its creator of a saint's toga in a painting by Giovanni Bellini.

It's unclear how the religious figure in question feels about inspiring boozy breakfasts the world over. Learn more

According to Dr. No, James Bond is as particular about his G&Ts as he is his martinis: He takes his with an entire lime's worth of juice.

Gin and tonics were originally developed as the proverbial sugar to help the medicine—in this case, quinine—go down.

British soldiers stationed in India had a nasty malaria problem at the turn of the century, but water, sugar, lime, and, of course, alcohol helped them stomach the bitter taste of quinine, an antimalarial agent. (So yeah, G&Ts are totally healthy.) Learn more

The Long Island Iced Tea was invented by a man named Bob Butt.

Saisons have their roots in Wallonia, where they were brewed in the winter and then stored for consumption during the warmer months.

These farmhouse ales were traditionally consumed by workers instead of water, which as not safe to drink. Even if you're not a farm laborer, they're perfect for drinking in the summer sun. Learn more

The chorus of Rupert Holmes' “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" originally began with the line, “If you like Humphrey Bogart."

At the last moment, he decided to change it, swapping in the first exotic cocktail that came to mind. Learn more

The name mai tai comes from the Tahitian Mai tai roa ae, which translates to “out of this world—the best!"

It was invented by in 1944 by Victor J. Bergeron, better known as Trader Vic. Learn more

The precursor of the Americano is the Milano-Torino, which omits the soda and is simply a mix of Campari and sweet vermouth.

The name refers to the birthplace of the ingredients—Milano for the Campari, Torino for the vermouth. Learn more

Orson Welles introduced the Negroni to many Americans when he wrote about it for an Ohio newspaper while working in Rome.

He famously said of the classic cocktail: "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." Learn more

July 4th is the year's biggest day for beer sales.

More than 68 million cases of brewskis are sold for Independence Day boozing. Learn more

While it's most commonly associated with France, rosé has its roots in ancient Greece.

As Talia Baiocchi explains, "According to myth, Amphictyon, son of Deucalion and Pyrrah, first mixed red wine with water at meetings of his councilors to dilute its strength in order to minimize quarreling." Learn more

Daiquiris became extremely popular during WWII, when rum was more easily accessible than vodka and whiskey.

Many domestic distilleries were converted to military use, but good relations with the Caribbean meant rum was exempt from rationing and easy to come by. Learn more

“Caipirinha" is actually the Portuguese term for a hillbilly, or country hick.

Fortunately, the drink's no longer associated with a lack of class—though that could change if you have one too many. Learn more

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